Billie Holiday was a woman who suffered throughout her life. She had an extremely difficult childhood and was shuffled from family member to family member. She struggled to get a break but she had a monumental talent, her voice. It was utterly unique and distinctive and that is what elevated her above the rest, but it was the demons of her past that continued to haunt her for the rest of her days.
The United States vs. Billie Holiday highlights the highs and lows of Billie Holiday’s career with flashbacks of her difficult past. There are moments of absolute highs, like performing at Carnegie Hall, but also absolute lows including her time in jail for narcotic possession.
What is interesting about this film is that it demonstrates the obsession Commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, Harry Anslinger (Garrett Hedlund), took with Billie Holiday (Andra Day) and set about to make an example of her persistent drug use and her anti lynching song Strange Fruit.
Strange Fruit was original written by Abel Meeropol, it was based on a poem about lynching. Holiday performed the song at Cafe Society in New York and it instantly became a hit and made her a star.
The irony that when Strange Fruit became a hit in 1939 lynching wasn’t a federal crime, it became a federal crime in 2020. But at the time in 1939 the senate had just put forward a bill to outlaw lynching and it was voted down in the senate.
Directed by Lee Daniels, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, chronicles the persistent struggles Holiday had with her past but also the underlying reliance of drugs and alcohol to manage and maintain the demons that continually haunted her on and off stage.
Written by Suzan-Lori Parks, this story outlines the last years of Billie Holiday’s life following her arrest for narcotic possession and the cancellation of her cabaret license. Losing her license effectively banned her from performing in nightclubs and bars across the country, resulting in her performing at concert halls and venues with her orchestra.
The story incorporates aspects of Holiday’s life including her speculated relationship with Hollywood star Tallulah Bankhead (Natasha Lyonne), her abusive relationship with husband James Monroe (Erik LaRay Harvey) and the nonstop persecution by Commissioner Harry Anslinger.
Andra Day’s performance as Billie Holiday is nothing short of remarkable. She encapsulates the inner workings of this woman who is struggling with the difficulties of life, but also who has been catapulted into the spotlight because of her outstanding talent. Day embodies Holiday in such a way that there are moments where you feel you are watching Holiday performing on the screen in front of you. Day carries the film with her outstanding performance.
Special mention needs to be given to Leslie Jordan who makes an appearance playing slightly flamboyant Reginald Lord Devine. Jordan steals every scene he appears, there is always that impish sparkle in his eyes, but his performance is noteworthy.
Coming to the end of Black History Month, it is important that stories like the life of Billie Holiday are continually told for younger generations to understand the struggles and persecutions that the older generations faced. But stories like this also highlights the immense amount of work that still needs to be done before people can heal.
The United States vs. Billie Holiday is currently available on Hulu.
